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Emo Bands: Using the digital underground as a hot media trend to keep just below the mainstream
Peer2Peer download and file sharing tracker BigChampagne has helped emo bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Fall Out Boy to bigtime success. It's one of the new bottom-up methods for bands to reach larger, more mainstream audiences. All those downloads and shared mp3 files create buzz, drive traffic to MySpace pages and ultimately sell concert tickets and merchandise, attracting attention to indie and major labels.No longer do A&R record guys have to waste time scouring clubs to find The Next Best Thing; all they have to do see what's hot in music file swaps and then go directly to sign the band. No wonder Love Monkey has failed as a new TV show...not realistic anymore.
"Emo" (that angst-filled rock style with depressed lyrics but uptempo neo-punk sound) remains just-below-the-mainstream...which keeps it cool with the kids.
Ross Rahaila writes on todays emo landscape, and how a handful of the popular bands are selling tons of albums, and calling the bands millionaires in the making.
“Social networking Web site MySpace.com has played a huge role in allowing broke teens to sample a seemingly endless number of bands all in one place and without cost (or the guilt of illegal downloading). And by the time a band starts selling serious numbers of records and signs to a major label, many of the hardest-core fans have already moved on in search of the next big thing.”For another reference article, re-read this blog posting from Wired in March here.
posted by Unknown @ Wednesday, March 22, 2006,
